So that such a card can operate under good conditions and with acceptable output, it is necessary that all the cylinders be correctly and regularly cleaned, and this without danger for the operator or operators.
At present, the cleaning of the Morel cylinders is effected manually. To this end, an operator performs the cleaning by means of a stripping tool with rigid blades held in the hand and displaced over all the length of the cylinder, so that this operation will be effective over all the width of working of the machine. To this end, the operator stands above the rotating cylinder, which renders the operation difficult, dangerous or even perilous, because he could fall on the rotating roller of the card and thus be the victim of an extremely grave accident.
Moreover, this manual cleaning method requires also dismounting the tray, the burr-beater and the transfer rollers, which gives rise to a relatively long period of careful work and, as a corollary, high cost.
These various drawbacks are the principal cause of irregular cleaning, which is most often carried out only at the last possible moment. Moreover, this cleaning operation requires that the operator remain at the work site, so that he cannot perform other work.